The Echo of Hope
by angelicTactics
Summary: When a nerd and his cousin move into a neighborhood with a flighty broad and an insufferable prick, the four develop a deep bond that changes their lives forever. Some changes in larger magnitudes than others. Rated T for language.
1. September Was When I Met Him

**Disclaimer: I do not own Homestuck or any of these characters. Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie.**

* * *

Your name is DAVE STRIDER, and you KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

You knew as soon as your eyes laid on the nerd that moved in to your neighborhood. The nerd's name was JOHN EGBERT. You'd never admit it, but he's always been pretty cool in his own way. But you knew IT was going to happen. What is IT, you ask? Well, to explain IT, you need to THINK BACK to the day YOU MET HIM.

* * *

It was a nice, mid-summer day in Washington. You planned to hang out with your sister Rose and drop some ill beats. The two of you sat on the front lawn of your house, just chilling. Rose reads another one of her huge grimdark books, while you don your headset and throw some sick rhymes together. That's just what you do. Despite what people say about your raps and remixes, you honestly think they are the best, and that you can actually make a living off of them eventually. Rose sometimes plays her violin for your remixes. She's really good at playing the violin, even if you're too busy pulling a Strider to actually fucking say it to the girl. You would think she would be performing with her violin, but she says she'd rather be an author. You don't understand why she would rather be an author. Music is your life, and you would never even think of turning down a music career for something else. Your dad calls you from inside the house. You groan and get your sorry ass off the ground, then head inside.

Your dad is more of a brotherly figure to you than a fatherly figure. You think it's weird, but it sure feels like it. Your mom seems more like a parental figure to you, at least in your eyes. It sure works when she isn't doing that passive-aggressive thing with Rose almost every fucking day. Is that a thing mothers usually do? It confuses you a hell of a lot, and you're glad that you just have to deal with your father's ironic Strifes every day. Rose says it's the same thing with you and your father, and you just guess that it's different for everyone.

Yet now, you are faced with the issue of an apple juice shortage. Your father informs you that the fridge only has two bottles of apple juice left. You instantly flip the fuck out, albeit internally. You _cannot_ be running out of apple juice. It is the nectar of the gods that helps you concentrate when you rap, remix, sword fight, _anything._ You thank your father for the warning, and head out the door, trying your best not to sprint to the grocery store right outside your neighborhood. On the way out, you grab your wallet and close the door, then tell Rose to get up. She glances at you, then sighs and places a bookmark in her damn book. You're getting your way here. You're doing this. You're making this happen.

You stroll by the empty house not too far from your own. It's been for sale for a while, but you noticed that the sign planted in the front lawn was missing. _Huh. Looks like somebody's moving in. _There doesn't seem to be a moving van coming anytime soon. Maybe you'll catch a glimpse of them later.

* * *

You and Rose are walking back home, holding two bags each. The four bags are filled meticulously with bottles of precious apple juice. Neither of you complain about the weight, or of the increasing soreness becoming present in your limbs.

The trip home was interrupted by the appearance of a white moving van in the driveway of the previously empty house. The various pieces of furniture ranging from couches and refrigerators to harlequin statues and portraits placed haphazardly into boxes were moved into the house, one by one. There's even the occasional rifle. _How the hell did these people get rifles into Washington?_ Rose had said something about the smell of cake already emanating from the house, even though not all of the boxes had been opened and arranged. You thought it was weird, and didn't want anything to do with those neighbors, but then again, you felt curiosity tug at you from the back of your mind. You _guess_ you could go take a look, but you'd rather not make the neighbors think you were fucking desperate for friends or some shit like that. Rose notices your hesitation and flashes that shit-eating grin she always has on. "I will go and scout the situation for you, _David_," she says, still grinning. She then gives you the other two bags of apple juice and does her best Lass Scramble. You make a mental note to make her pay for that later. You hate it when people call you David. You head home, with four bags of apple juice in your arms.

* * *

A short 15 minutes later, your sister returns with a report. The new neighbors are the Egberts, and consist of a family of a father, son, and cousin. However, the cousin goes by the surname of Harley. The house is already slowly being filled with the aroma of baked goods such as brownies, cookies, and cakes. The son seems to dislike them, while the cousin enjoys them.

You shrug a bit, thinking that they seem like a zany family, but you decide to go and introduce yourself to the Egberts too. _What's with the name Egbert, anyways?_

* * *

The Egbert residence is a two-floored house. A tree is right in the house's front lawn, sharing the space with a mailbox. A car and moving van lies in the driveway, though there is no more activity concerning the moving van. You smell the aroma of baked goods yet again and wonder if you'll ever get used to this family. Then again, it doesn't hurt to try. Hell, maybe you'd even be one of those friends that spend every day at their friends' house. You finally bring yourself to go and ring the doorbell. After a while, a kid that looks around the same age as you answers the door.

His eyes light up in excitement and delight. _Doesn't seem like he gets that many visitors. Then again, I can't blame him. Kid just moved in._ Rose smiles and introduces herself again. She then looks at you expectantly, as if to say, "_Go on, introduce yourself, you insufferable prick!_" You then internally groan, but introduce yourself as well. You even flash an ironic smile, because why the fuck not. First impressions are everything.

The dorky teen smiled a shaky, nervous smile, and introduced himself, still holding a box of rolled up posters. His name is John Egbert. _Has a nice ring to it._ "Looks like we're going to be neighbors," John says.

You stare at him through your shades, trying not to smile and hug the kid. His nerves seemed to make him seem more precious than he actually was. You inspect him thoroughly, taking note of his sapphire eyes, which are behind a pair of thick, square-framed glasses. They reflect light off of the boy's eyes like the ocean. His hair is black and tossed this way and that. Your eyes then direct themselves to his shirt, which has a green ghost slime, from that one movie, Ghostbusters. He also wore a pair of shorts, which complemented his shirt nicely. His skin was pale, showing that he didn't go outside often. For some reason, he had a slightly frail look to him, as if he was fighting off a flu or something. You wonder about that, but don't want to pry about it.

_Holy fuck, this kid is adorable._

You nod stoically, your eyes drawn to his posters. "You like posters?" You ask, nonchalantly. His face brightens up again, and he fumbles with the box slightly. "Yes!" He responds, smiling. "I have a few from my favorite movies, but I haven't hung them up yet. It's taking a long time to unpack, and everything. Not to mention Jade keeps leaving her rifles everywhere, and that her dog keeps taking things and placing them in other places." "Your sister leaves rifles everywhere? Is that even legal? And you guys have a dog?" You reply, a slight hint of disbelief in your voice. "No, she's not my sister. Though people always say we look like we are. She's actually my cousin. She also has this thing with rifles, and I'm not sure why or how she has so many. We have a dog, but it's more of Jade's dog. His name is Becquerel," John says. _Oh, right. Rose said he had a cousin. Fuck. How did I forget that? Wait, she didn't say they had a dog. Huh. _"Jade's dog likes to chase me around for some reason. It really irritates me, but Jade always says he's such a lazy dog. If that's what he's like when he's lazy, I'm scared to know what he's like when he's hyper," John said with a shudder.

You were about to sympathize with John about his predicament, but were interrupted by the low buzzing of your smartphone, left on vibrate. You mutter to yourself and check your phone. Your father sent you a few texts, saying to come home for dinner. _Was it that late already? _You scratch your head slightly, then reply. You then turn back to Rose and John, then hand your phone over to Rose. She nods after reading, then returns it to you.

"John, it was a pleasure meeting you. We apologize, but we have to head home for dinner. Perhaps we may see each other soon?" Rose asks. John nods happily. "Actually, we're going to have a movie night tomorrow! It was a normal thing we did back where we lived. Would you guys like to come?"

John and Rose glance at you expectantly. You stare at the both of them from the safety of your shades, thinking about the offer. You then shrug. "I don't see why not."

* * *

**Hello again, Homestuck fandom! It's been quite a while. I'm sure that people were wondering about SBURB Omega, but it's been put on hiatus for now. I'm really sorry about that! ****As for this story, I've been writing solo. This will hopefully have up to 20 chapters, but no promises. I will do my best to give you all something in between SBURB Omega updates! **

**See you guys later! ~angelicTactics**


	2. The House of Shitty Movies and Popcorn

Your name is DAVE STRIDER, and you're WAITING FOR YOUR SISTER to get off her lazy ass so the two of you can leave for the EGBERT-HARLEY HOUSEHOLD.

You tap your foot impatiently and check your bag again. You can't forget anything, but then again, Egbert never really specified what to bring. You decided to bring a few of your favorite movies, some bags of unpopped popcorn, your phone charger, and some video games. You're not sure if Egbert has any game systems, but you guess you'll find out eventually. You shout at Rose to hurry up, and are met with a book to your face. You rub your nose while cursing softly under your breath, then sit on the couch, next to that thing Rose calls the "Eldritch Princess". _Looks like the flighty broad is going to take even longer. God, how much fucking stuff does she even have to grab?_ You grumble and roll your eyes. You wonder what the movie night's going to be like. You're not exactly aware of the new neighbors' movie tastes, and you shudder at the thought of being forced to watch shitty movies all night. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. You check the time. 3:53 p.m. John said to head over to his house at around 4. You sigh and shout at your sister again. This time, your sister comes down the stairs with a bag in her right hand.

"God damn it, Rose. How much of your shit are you bringing?"

"Not as much as you, David," she replies, grinning. She always knew how to piss you off.

"Well, whatever. Let's get going before Egbert thinks we got kidnapped or something."

"After you."

* * *

It was about 4:05 by the time you got to John's house. You ring the doorbell and wince when you hear a loud thump from inside the house, followed by a muffled shout. _That kid must be really excited. Holy shit._ Not too long after, you are greeted with a pair of sharp emerald eyes behind circular glasses.

You flinch as a rifle comes into view. "Jade, wait! That's Dave and Rose, the ones I told you about!" John cries from behind the pair of green eyes. The eyes blink and back up, letting you see more of the terrifying person. It's a girl with long black hair, wearing a matching shirt and skirt. The shirt has a logo of a dog head on it.

The girl smiles. "Oh, okay! So then I don't need to sic Bec on them, right?" You feel the color drain from your face. _DEAR GOD, PLEASE NO. NOT THE DOG. _"Of course not, Jade! Now back up a little more. I think you're scaring Dave," John murmurs.

You feel the color return to your face as Rose gives you _that_ look. You glare at her from behind your shades, then look at John. He has a bruise on his face. _Jesus Christ, he really WAS excited._

"What happened to you, Egdork?" you ask, trying to change the topic. John gasps lightly, then touches his face. "O-Oh. I fell down earlier. I tried to get to the door," he says, blushing. "Well, let's go start the movie!

* * *

It is now 5:57 p.m. You have been watching movie after movie with John and Jade. The selection ranged from harmless Disney movies to movies rated R that will probably give you nightmares. Rose and Jade would talk about each movie, while you'd make quips about almost everything in the movie you were watching. John would just be laughing his ass off trying to counter your ironic remarks. It would go back and forth until the both of you ran out of things to say. You would then sigh and throw popcorn at John or Rose. Not that "Jade" girl. She terrifies the shit out of you. Jade DID apologize for earlier, though. She must've felt bad about scaring you. You just shrugged and redirected your attention to National Treasure, saying it was no big deal.

* * *

It is now 8:36 p.m. Where the hell did today go? You're about to pack up your shit and leave when Jade says that you and Rose can sleep over, if you want. You're about to turn her down, but Rose accepts the offer and gives you a look. Again. You text your parents to tell them your whereabouts. They allow you to stay the night. Looks like you're spending the night at the Egbert-Harley household.

* * *

It is now 9:42 p.m. The four of you are laying down in a circle in John's room. He had refused to sleep in a bed if you and Rose were sleeping on the floor, and Jade had insisted on sleeping in the same room as the three of you. You start talking about the most random things, like movies, games, books, and even the goddamn apocalypse. John and Jade are active in the conversation, while Rose adds a few comments here and there. It's interesting. Jade prefers the Tomb Raider movies, while John prefers those shitty Nicolas Cage movies. Rose adds that she enjoys her "grimdark" horror movies. Those happened to be the rated R ones you mentioned earlier. The group seems to wait expectantly for you to answer, but you don't say anything. You're not very sure about your taste in movies.

* * *

It is now 10:11 p.m. You can't believe that the four of you have begun talking about each others' lives. You're not exactly sure of what to do, but go along with it anyways.

Rose finishes her life story after a while. She mentions her love of knitting and the violin, her daily passive-aggressive bouts with her mom, and how much of a pain in the ass it is to live with you. It's nothing new to you, but it's nice to have a little reminder. You smirk.

You go next, mostly talking about your family, middle school experience, and your love of music. You were thinking of joining the marching band's drumline. You'd be killer at quads. At least, you like to think so. You go on until you decide you've tortured the group enough. They don't need to know about your _entire_ life, now.

Jade goes next. She explains about how she lived on an island with her grandpa, Jake, and her dog, Becquerel. She had a great life until her grandfather passed away. Since John's father knew "Jake", he decided to take Jade in. She took everything she wanted to take, including her possibly illegal amount of rifles. Then she left her island home behind.

John decides to wrap up the "life story" thing. He shuffles in the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor, then sighs. You glance up at him, almost expectantly.

"Where to start...well...I was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at birth," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. You see Rose's face go pale. "Then you have been afflicted with ranges of cardiac defects since you were a child. _Atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, _and _pulmonary stenosis_," she mutters. You see that John's face grew solemn as he nods. Rose notices your expression, then answers your unsaid inquiry. "It means he has miscommunication between his atriums, holes in the muscle that separates the ventricles, and narrow valves," she states, trying to make it easy for you to understand. "It can affect even adult patients. The words 'congenital heart disease' refers to disorders of the heart present at birth."

_So that's it. _You had been wondering about John. He did seem like he was fighting off a fever. Now you know why. The poor kid. You can't help but pity him.

John doesn't say much else. He talks about middle school, then mentions how Jade was the reason they moved to Washington in the first place. You guess that the Egberts' old house wasn't big enough to house two children, a dog, a father, and lord knows how many rifles. John then quiets down once more.

The silence covers everyone like a freezing gust of wind until Mr. Egbert comes in and turns the lights out. You exchange "good nights" and "sweet dreams", then drift off. John isn't leaving your thoughts. It doesn't seem like he will anytime soon.

Your name is DAVE STRIDER, and you think you might have to keep an eye on this kid. For his sake, and for your own.

* * *

**Hello again, my dears~ Sorry for the inactivity. School has started once again for me. I hope you all have been well.**

**We're starting to pick up at this chapter. I really want to know what you all think of the story so far. Please tell me your thoughts!**

**DISCLAIMER! I do not own Homestuck, or any of its characters! I simply own the concept of this story. All characters and references belong (mostly) to Andrew Hussie. **


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